President Jokowi Shares Indonesia’s Covid-19 Progress With German Chancellor Merkel

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has expressed his optimism about Indonesia’s struggles against Covid-19, more than a year after the pandemic first struck the country.

Speaking during talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, the head of state highlighted Indonesia’s progress against the coronavirus.

“We have managed to reduce the number of Covid-19 positive cases from over 14 thousand a day last January, to 4 or 5 thousand a day over the past two weeks,” he said. “This development can be attributed to the constant application of health protocols by all parties.”

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Indonesia’s Covid-19 progress has seen 1,426,145 recoveries out of 1,577,526 cases, while another 42,782 died from the coronavirus. of

Jokowi highlighted the part played by micro lockdowns [PPKM mikro], all the way down to the village level. He also shared Indonesia’s use of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines.

Both leaders also expressed their concerns about ‘vaccine nationalism,’ the practice’s disruptive effects on the worldwide availability of the Covid-19 vaccine, as well as its adverse effect on equal access to the vaccine from the world’s countries.

They also conveyed concerns over other issues, such as global warming and the Myanmar crisis.

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According to the Antara state news agency, President Jokowi expressed his appreciation for Indonesia’s appointment as a partner country for the 2021 Hannover Fair and its 2023 iteration.

On her part, Chancellor Merkel highlighted Indonesia’s chairmanship of the G-20 group of nations next year, which coincides with Germany’s heading of the G-7 countries in 2022.

“We hope that [Germany and Indonesia] can use these positions to bolster bilateral cooperation between both countries,” she said. Jokowi also offered Germany to develop the German Industrial Quarter at the Batang Integrated Industrial Region.

Germany is Indonesia’s leading trade partner in Europe, and is fourth largest investment partner. Germany also brings in the third highest number of foreign tourists from Europe. Both countries have a comprehensive partnership since 2012. 

(Writer: Dian Erika Nugraheny | Editor : Diamanty Meiliana)

Sources: 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/13/22013151/dialog-dengan-angela-merkel-jokowi-sebut-kondisi-covid-19-di-indonesia?page=all#page2. 

https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2099158/presiden-jokowi-kanselir-jerman-gelar-pertemuan-bilateral-virtual